


Alternate

by Tiikeria



Series: Care for Me? [16]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Children, Alternate Universe - Grand Theft Auto, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Hybrid, Alternate Universe - Michael from the Streets, Alternate Universe - Minecraft, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Gen, Seizures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-01
Updated: 2014-06-07
Packaged: 2018-02-03 00:43:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1724915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiikeria/pseuds/Tiikeria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Epilepsy stops for nothing...even for different realities.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Little One [Child AU]

**Author's Note:**

> SIX MONTH ANNIVERSARY OF CFM. WOOOOOOOOO. So, enjoy this week-long special, Care for Me AU in AUs. Different AU every day, leading up to the AU that sparked the idea. LET'S GO BITCHES.

At first, Geoff and Jack just attributed it to Gavin's somewhat short attention span. The five year old boy was a curious child, often ignoring his caretakers in favor of sating his intense love of investigating things he didn't understand. He was often asking very imaginative questions, most of which Geoff left to Jack to answer; Geoff preferred to play the "What If?" Game with the boy, eagerly answering Gavin's absurd situations with equally absurd ones in return.   
  
So, when Gavin started paying even less attention than normal, they didn't really find it strange. It was only when a frustrated Michael came to them saying, "Grabbin's eyes are being funny 'gain" that they started to take notice of the spells. The first time Geoff experienced the event first hand was one of the most terrifying experiences of his life; Gavin had just tensed up in his arms, eyes rolling back, and was unable to do anything for a solid fifteen seconds, before coming to and giving his adopted Daddy a sleepy look. When it happened the next morning with Jack, the two men resolved to take the lad to their pediatrician; which Gavin did _not_ appreciate.   
  
He was good, but only because Geoff promised ice cream afterwards, only if he was nice to Dr. Fancis, the kindly older woman who had been seeing the boys since Geoff and Jack took them in. It wasn't that Gavin didn't like her, it was more like he didn't like going to the doctor's at all. But he tolerated her questions and examinations well enough, his young mind only focused on the ice cream he was promised for after.  
  
Geoff, however, was a ball of nervous energy, more worried for the well being of their British son than anything else. The doctor motioned him to the side, her lips set in a grim line. Quietly, she told him what she expected it to be, and it didn't do anything to help Geoff's nerves. Childhood Absense Epilepsy, a disease that seemed to start between 4 and 8. Gently, she told him how there was a chance, with proper treatment, that he may actually grow out of it. For now, though, she would have to do a few more tests before she could absolutely rule it as CAE.   
  
Unfortunately for them, her hunch was only proved correct. Breaking the news to Gavin was probably the hardest, the young man keeping quiet as they explained the implications to him, before Dr. Francis sent them on their way, Geoff clutching a prescription in one hand, and Gavin's small hand in the other. It was only when they were settled in a booth at the boys' favorite ice cream place, a scoop of strawberry ice cream sitting in front of Gavin, that the young boy spoke.  
  
"Geff?"  
  
"Yeah, buddy?" Geoff gave him a kindly smile, sensing the boy's hesitation.  
  
"Am...am I...broked?"  
  
"No! No, Gavin...why would you think that?" Concern crossed his face, eyebrows wrinkling in confusion as the little one poked at the pink treat.  
  
"Cuz...I...I have sompin' wrong wif me...and...and dat means broked, right?" Innocent eyes were trained on Geoff as the man moved from his side of the booth, pulling Gavin into a gentle hug.  
  
"No, Gavin, you're not broken. Bent, maybe, but not broken. You just have a problem you can't control. Just like Jack's snoring. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, Gav. You're perfect just the way you are."  
  
Quietly, the boy buried his head in Geoff's chest, sniffling softly as he clinged to his Daddy, "Pwomise, Geff?"  
  
"I promise, buddy. Now finish up your ice cream before we head home. Maybe Ryan will let you help him with his models again. Would you like that?"  
  
"Yeah! I like helpin' Ry!" the bright smile was back on his face, and Geoff couldn't help but return the favor, kissing the boy on the forehead. It would be a hard thing to adjust to, but Gavin was their little one, and they would do anything to make sure he was happy. 


	2. School Sucks [Highschool AU]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe high school wasn’t as bad as he made it out to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PART TWOOOOOOOOO! You guys have no idea how proud of myself I will be if I manage a week’s worth of writing. I’m normally lucky to get a CfM part done by Thursday. |D Anyway, this one is short and sweet; tomorrow’s may be a bit longer. Enjoy!

High school wasn’t the most fun time of anyone’s life, though it tended to be a bit easier than middle school. However, having epilepsy in high school was another story entirely; especially when the type of epilepsy you suffered from wasn’t the type that everyone saw in movies and TV. He didn’t foam at the mouth and drop to the floor, spasming uncontrollably. No, he just lost seconds, maybe minutes of his life to a blankness, often coming back with the class staring at him, snickering about how stupid he was, how weird he was, how he was mentally retarded. Even the teachers, minus a couple, didn’t seem to understand the difference between him not paying attention, and him having a moment of darkness.   
  
His only saving grace were the five young men that had befriended him, that hadn’t called him names or treated him like a diseased freak. He was just Gavin to them; annoying, dumb Gavin, words they meant in a fond sense, which he could easily interpret as their own way of showing him that he was their friend. The sophomore always felt a swell of gratitude when his boys would defend him and his illness from the assholes they called peers. When he was with them, he felt protected and…normal. Like he didn’t have absence seizures almost every day. And it didn’t stop with them; eventually, even their girlfriends were treating him like a normal human being, and he would forever be grateful to his boys and their ladies for taking care of him.  
  
He had Geoff, his mentor and knight in slightly dented armor, always ready to beat the shit out of anyone stupid enough to mess with Gavin; he had Jack, the kind-hearted teddy bear of a man, always willing to give Gavin a hug when he needed it, or a shoulder to doze on during lunch if he needed to; he had Ryan, the mad genius that was always willing to make Gavin laugh and to keep his mind off his ailment by prodding the man into strange debates until the rest of the men demanded they shut the fuck up; there was Michael, the hot-headed and protective sophomore who would gladly join Geoff if it came to blows with any of the dumbasses they attended school with, though he would always be able to make his boi laugh if he needed humor instead of violence; finally he had Ray, the freshman always willing to amuse Gavin with his sarcastic and deadpanning comments on the students around him, or helping Gavin come up with adventures for their superhero duo (that they totally didn’t dress up as last Halloween), X-Ray and Vav.   
  
All-in-all, he had it good, and, anytime he made the mistake of forgetting that, his boys would be there to remind him, like they were today, all crowded around the picnic  table in the far corner of the courtyard, laughing and joking, Gavin allowing himself to smile broadly.  
  
Maybe high school wasn’t as bad as he made it out to be.  


	3. We Didn't Have This in Jersey [Yetiokay's Michael From the Streets AU]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He couldn't lose anyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAY THREE HYYYYPE. Alright, when I started this, I knew there needed to be three certain AUs. This is one of them. :3

It had only a been a few months since Michael had moved in with the rest of the boys after their mini rescue mission in Newark, in which they had been lucky to leave the state alive. Slowly, the hardened man was starting to relax around the rest of them, happily enjoying the amazing meals Geoff cooked and playing video games with Ray and Gavin, or watching bad horror movies with Ryan and Jack, the former making progressively creepier comments as the movie would play on. Yeah, Michael was adjusting very well to life in Austin, with a stable home and job, without having to worry about someone breaking in or someone mugging him the moment he left the house.   
  
He could still tell there was something that they were hiding from him, and part of him was bothered by it. The other part of him just shrugged and moved on, but that little voice in the back of his head kept telling him he should be worried about what they were hiding. Were they planning on kicking him out, now that they realized what a handful he was? Was one of them sick? Or dying? Surely they would tell him about something like that, right?  
  
Right?  
  
He didn't realize just how close he was when he considered the idea of illness. At least, not until he saw it first hand.  
  
The guys had left Gavin and Michael alone in the house, the rest of the men going on their weekly grocery run; a trip necessary when six men all lived in the same house. The duo had been playing some shitty indie game until Gavin bowed out, choosing to lay on the couch and watch Michael play Halo multiplayer, occasionally making comments or jokes as Michael's temper started to flare. After a while, he fell silent, unnoticed by the Jersey native, until a controller was tossed aside in fury; Michael turned to bitch at Gavin about cheating bastards, but the words died on his lips.  
  
Glassy eyes, stiff body, no movement. Alarm bells went off in Michael's head as he bolted over to the British man, his gaze rapidly taking in Gavin's form. To Michael's untrained eye, it looked reminiscent of many of his fallen friends, many from overdoses or stab wounds. Panic and heartache ripped through him as he fell to his knees, unable to stop the tears from pooling in his eyes. Checking for a pulse or for the soft breaths that Gavin was exhaling never occurred to the man; every time he had seen this look, it was followed by a funeral.   
  
He couldn't lose anyone else.   
  
They found him moments later, shaking and crying next to the couch, understanding dawning in their gazes as they took in the prone form of their colleague on the couch. Jack was the one to pull Michael away first, gently coaxing him into the kitchen, holding him in a tight, warm hug, letting the younger lad sob into his shirt.  
  
"J-Jack...Jack...he's g-gone...he's g-gone...," the hiccuping whisper broke the bearded man's heart and he gripped Michael tighter.  
  
"He's not dead, Michael...he's not. I promise. Shhhh...it's okay. He's alive," rumbling murmurs were spoken into Michael's curls, prompting the man to look up, tears still streaming down his face.  
  
"B-but...he wasn't moving...his eyes J-Jack..."  
  
Jack softly sighed, rubbing Michael's back as he reached for a bottle of water from where they left them that morning, offering it to the Jersey boy, "This isn't really how Gavin wanted you to find out. He has epilepsy, Michael. He has seizures where he blacks out like that, instead of shaking like you see in movies. I promise, he's not dead, he's alive. He'll be okay, once he wakes back up, tired, but okay."  
  
"Seizures? That's...that's all it is?"  
  
"Yeah, that's all."  
  
He nodded, taking a gulp of water, using the towel that Jack offered to dry his eyes, his face still splotchy from his sobs, "I'm going to kick his ass."  
  
Jack could only chuckle as he lead the young man back into the living room, where Gavin was now awake, giving Michael an apologetic smile when they entered, "Sorry for scaring you, boi."  
  
"Remind me to beat you when you're able to run," Michael huffed, before hesitantly making himself comfortable on the couch with the sandy haired man, wrapping his arms around the thinner body, knowing he was probably getting surprised looks from the rest of the men; he wasn't normally one for affection of any kind.  
  
"Don't scare me like that again, Gav," the request was soft enough that only Gavin managed to hear it, happily wrapping his arms around Michael in return, eyelids drooping.  
  
"I'll try not to, Micool. I promise."  


	4. Birdbrained [Padalickingood's Hybrid AU]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And you were worried."
> 
> "Shut the fuck up, Burns."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’M GOING TO PRETEND THIS CAME OUT ON TIME. DENIAL IS THE BEST.

Letting Gavin have his own office in the new building was something that Burnie and Geoff had quite a heated argument about, but eventually, Burnie had won the other man over, partially with the help of Gavin himself, the bird hybrid’s wings fluttering almost in nervousness as he and Burnie pleaded with the ram. Geoff only relented after the Lad promised him to call someone, more than likely Ryan, if anything happened while in his new space.   
  
Their hopes that it would never happen was short lived.  
  
They had been there a month, and the ram hybrid had taken a liking to peeking in on Gavin when he passed by, or even if he just needed to walk around for a bit. Unconsciously, he would breathe a sigh of relief if he saw the bird hard at work, headphones over his ears, intense concentration in his eyes, wings twitching in annoyance or amusement, depending. It was these times that Geoff knew that Gavin having his own office was a good idea for the Lad; that lingering fear, however, was something he could not shake off.  
  
When Ryan's phone rang, echoing in the silent office, Geoff was up before the Gent could even look at the caller ID, though it only confirmed Geoff's worries. The lion, cat and rabbit hybrids stayed seated as Ryan and Geoff hurried from the room, knowing that having all of them in the small space would do more harm than good. Ryan, knowing Geoff's protective nature over the avian, chose to hang back in the doorway as they arrived in Gavin's office. The lad had let out a quiet squawking noise, but, otherwise he stayed silent, his body rigid in his seat, his wings flapping and twitching of their own accord, making it slightly difficult for Geoff to approach his Brit. He kneeled, looking up into Gavin's glassy eyes, his hand smoothing along Gavin's arm, hoping to at least soothe the man, knowing he may panic a bit following the seizure, bird instincts taking over for a moment. Burnie joined the steer in the doorway, the bison taking in the scene with worry behind his glasses. If anything happened to Gavin, it was going to be his head Geoff would be bashing in; he had a thick skull, but a determined Geoff Ramsey was not a person you wanted to be up against.  
  
Another small squawk and a blink, Gavin's eyes regaining focus, his wings still twitching, this time in mild alarm; Geoff's hand didn't move from its position on the Lad's arm, "Gav...you're safe. You're safe."  
  
"Safe...safe, yeah," a sigh of relief escaped both Gavin and Burnie, Ryan giving the other man a lopsided smile in amusement. Slowly, Gavin's wings stilled and his muscles relaxed, his blinking becoming slow and sleepy, "That one came on bloody quick...barely had time to call Ryan."  
  
"I'm glad you fucking did, birdbrain. Now, come on, you're taking a nap in the Achievement Hunter office. No arguing with me. I will not hesitate to headbutt your feathery ass over there," Geoff huffed, a relieved smile playing on his lips.  
  
"Jesus, you're a grumpy old goat. Fine, I'll take a little kip in the office. As long as Ryan gives me a piggy back."  
  
"Why me?" The incredulous and exasperated look only served to make Gavin laugh, Geoff chuckling right along with him, "Fine, since no one can tell a difference between a bull and a horse, I guess you can hop on."  
  
Gavin was on his back in moments, legs around Ryan's waist as Ryan's hands gripped the younger man's thighs, Gavin's arms looped over Ryan's neck, "To the office, steed!"  
  
"Fuck you," came the vinegar filled reply, followed by an annoyed snort as the bull trudged towards the office once again, bird gleefully perched on his back; Burnie shook his head as Geoff joined him in the hallway.  
  
"And you were worried."  
  
"Shut the fuck up, Burns." 


	5. The Absent King [Minecraft King AU]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hearing hissing coming from your door was never a good sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I ended up combining parts 5 and 6 into one, because I wanted to include a certain little creeper in the King AU. This is based on a King AU I still haven’t written. Anyway, enough about that. Enjoy~!

Hearing hissing coming from your door was never a good sign, and The Mad King had to remind himself that he wasn’t out in the wilderness as he looked up from his enchanting work. He was trying to create an enchantment that would make Gavin’s bow much more accurate, though the man already had impressive aim with his hand-carved bow; a gift from one of the woodworkers in the village.   
  
Straightening his protesting back, he assumed his royal demeanor as he reached the door, fully expecting the hissing to be that of the Creeper King himself, coming to check on the progress, instead he found a young creeper staring up at him, worry and panic in the glossy black eyes. Ryan raised an eyebrow, taking in the adolescent creature; if Spark was here, Gavin wasn’t too far behind. Or, at least, he normally wouldn’t be. But Spark’s bouncing and obviously scared movements told him otherwise. Gavin’s familiar was scared for his King, and Ryan would be damned if he didn’t follow the small, green beast.  
  
Satisfied that Ryan was following, he hurried down the stairs, making soft hissing noises, words that Ryan assumed Gavin could translate if he was there. That was another project he needed to get on with: making it possible for them to understand Spark, and, possibly, other creatures in the realm. The Kingdom of Achievia was vast, though it started simply enough, and there was no end to the people and beasts you would find in the woods surrounding the castle walls.   
  
"Ryan? Out of your tower so early?" Ray smirked playfully as he fell in step with the older man, rose perfectly pinned to his robes; they didn’t call him the Rose King for nothing, after all. Upon spotting the galloping creeper Ryan was trailing, he raised an eyebrow, "And where’s Gavin? It’s not like Spark to wander too far away from him."  
  
"Spark came and got me; something must be wrong with Gavin. I’ve never seen the little guy so scared."  
  
"You think he’s hurt?"  
  
"I hope not. But we can never be too sure," Ray only nodded as he fell silent, eyebrows knitted in concern for his fellow King. Even more so when he realized the creeper was leading them to Gavin’s quarters, footsteps speeding up as they reached the heavy dark oak door; it was ajar, probably from when Spark left to find Ryan. The little creeper hurried in, leaping onto the four-poster bed, draped in forest green and bright gold coverings. Gavin was in the middle, still in his day-to-day robes, legs dangling off the bed. They took in the glassy-eyed expression on Gavin’s face, his rigid body and his slowed breathing and didn’t know whether to be relieved or more worried.  
  
They knew this. They could handle this.  
  
Spark had nestled himself against Gavin’s side, looking up at the Kings in a pleading manner, before nuzzling his familiar with a soft hiss. Ryan perched himself beside the duo, stroking the creeper’s head gently, trying to reassure him, “It’s alright, Spark. He’ll awaken soon enough; he has moments where he does this. Make sure you keep close to him, okay? It’ll make him feel better.”  
  
"I’ll go get Geoff," Ray muttered, taking off to find the High King. Ryan stayed, resting his hand in Gavin’s wild locks, gently maneuvering Gavin’s arm to wrap around the creeper nestled in the lad’s side; his efforts rewarded him a soft, mournful hiss, sad black eyes looking up at the Mad King. It was almost as if the creature was pleading with him to wake his master from whatever trance he was in; it broke Ryan’s heart to know there was nothing he could do to speed up the process. It was up to Gavin, now.  
  
Footsteps heralded the arrival of the High King, and then some. Jack and Michael had joined them, the two peeking in around Ray as Geoff stepped into the room, Ryan abandoning his seat in favor of allowing Geoff to take his place, the eldest man softly stroking the arm of his psudo-son, “How long has he been like this?”  
  
“I’m not sure, Geoff; Spark came and retrieved me from my tower.”  
  
At the mention of the young creature, Geoff reached out and affectionately rubbed his head, “Good work, Spark. You did a good thing.”  
  
Sad, but thankful hissing was returned before the young one resumed his nuzzling of Gavin, obviously hoping it would rouse him like it did in the mornings when the man slept late. Amazingly, it seemed to work as Gavin’s eyelids fluttered and his body started to relax, Spark releasing a pleased and excited clicking hissing combo, nuzzling the man’s cheek more insistently. Gavin let out a tired groan as he glanced at his familiar, “Hullo to you, too, Sparky.”  
  
“Apparently, we rank lower than Spark,” Geoff deadpanned, prompting Gavin to look up at the man beside him, giving him a worn out, lopsided grin.  
  
“Nah. He was just being more annoying than you, for once.”  
  
“Why do I even bother with you?” Geoff huffed as Spark gave his master a playfully offended hiss accompanied with a nudge to his shoulder. Gently, Gavin pulled the creature onto his chest, watching as he folded his legs under him, settling down comfortably.  
  
“Because, you love me. And you’d miss me if I wasn’t here,” a grin and a yawn simply made Geoff shake his head.  
  
“Whatever you say, asshole. Go to sleep; I don’t want to hear you whining about how tired you are.”  
  
“And when you wake up, come see me; I might have some news on your bow,” Ryan added, smiling at the perked up expression on Gavin’s face, “But only if you sleep first.”  
  
Another yawn and an unimpressed look shooed Ryan from the room, his fellow Kings simply shanking their heads, relief evident in their eyes. They may not understand what happened to Gavin, or what causes it, but they did know that they would be there when he came back. Every time.


	6. Abort Mission [Fake AH Crew/GTA AU]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He could feel it coming on, and now was not the time he wanted to be down and out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BEHOLD, THE PROMPT THAT STARTED THIS MADNESS. And, fittingly, it’s the longest one. A sincere thank you to all of you for supporting CfM for these 6 awesome months! Here’s to even more CfM goodness. Enjoy~! <3

He could feel it coming on, and now was not the time he wanted to be down and out. Not with a police chopper right on their tail, with himself and Michael supposed to be covering the gunfire from the sides of the chopper; Ryan needed to be focused on flying them out of the danger zone. They wanted to be able to meet up with Geoff, Jack and Ray at the end of this, not going down in flames halfway through their heist. But as he fired out of the door, he knew it wouldn’t be that easy. No, it could never be that easy.  
  
He could feel it trying to grip him, to take him under; he was doing everything he could to fight off the inevitable, knowing it would be futile. It would win in the end. So, he did the only thing he could do. Gave a warning.  
  
“Micool, Ry…” he spoke into the headset connecting the three men in the aircraft, the silence signaling for him to go on, knowing his tone must have conveyed urgency. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he muttered, “Plan G.”  
  
A curse was his reply from Michael as the man shot at the tail of the pursuing helicopter. Ryan was instantly on the group comm, relaying the signal to their leader, second-in-command, and sniper, Geoff’s voice coming back strong, but with a hint of worry, “I need you guys to get out of the line of fire, asap. Do anything to get that chopper off your asses. Ray will cover from the ground; you’re approaching his territory. Get Gavin back from the door; shut it if you can. Jack and I are on our way to rendezvous. When you’re on the ground, meet with Ray. I want you and Ray to cover the car; Michael’s a skilled driver. Don’t do anything stupid.”  
  
“You got it, Geoff. Air support out.”  
  
Michael reached over, yanking Gavin into the craft, the man already starting to succumb to the seizure he just couldn’t stop from happening. He watched the Jersey man slam Gavin’s side closed, buckling the ailing man into a seat, knowing it was about to get rough, “Hang in there, boi.”  
  
“Sorry, Micool…”  
  
Silence followed Gavin’s soft words, Michael returning to his glacking with renewed fervor, determined to not let anything happen to any of them, taking the burden of protecting their asses upon his shoulders. Ryan could only do so much, even with his impressive piloting skills, second only to Jack; he had to take out this chopper before they reached rendezvous. Or at least Ray. Though, the Puerto Rican could probably be a big plus right then; the man was lethal with his scope, and his accuracy was something to be feared.   
  
“Incoming, t-minus two minutes. Ray, be ready,” Ryan’s voice was strained as he made a quick dive, Michael holding on for dear life as the aircraft was jostled; idly, he thanked whatever deity happened to be on their side that he had strapped Gavin in, the British man’s body much more secure than Michael’s own, “We got a chopper on our tail.”  
  
“Already have eyes on it. Waiting for a clear shot at the pilot. If you can keep them steady, I might be able to take him down.”  
  
“Got it; Michael, cover. See if you can hit their gunner.”  
  
“On it, Rye-bread,” Michael barked out, aiming his semi-auto rifle, wishing he had something stronger than the weapon he had on him. There was no use thinking about what-ifs, not when their lives were at stake. Not when they were down a man; Gavin still silent in his seat, eyes glassy as they stared up at the green metal roof above him.  _This is for you, boi._  Rapid fire followed the thought, knowing Gavin would appreciate the amount of chaos he was creating; the foreigner was always up for creating mayhem.The sudden lurch of the white and blue LSPD chopper as it made a decent told them all they needed to know; Ray, once again, hit his target without fail.  
  
“Chopper down, chopper down. We’re in the clear for landing. Michael, be ready to bail to the car; I’ll grab Gav.”  
  
“Waiting with the escape vehicle; ready when you are,” Ray quipped over the airwaves, which was followed by Jack’s voice, “Approaching rendezvous; coast is clear of any cops.”  
  
Michael swung his legs into the bay, head turning to look at Gavin almost instinctively, a small smirk gracing his lips as Gavin gave him a tired smile, “Gavin’s returned to Earth, apparently. He’s giving me that fucking stupid look he gets.”  
  
“Don’t be such a mong, Micool,” he huffed, staying in his reclined position, not quite ready to be up just yet. The mix of adrenaline and the aftermath of a seizure was not something they really wanted to deal with, considering the very real possibility that Gavin might fall victim to yet another spell, this time without the previous warning. Quickly, the slightly older man removed the restraints, knowing the quick bail they would have to make, lest the cops catch up to them.  
  
“Touch down; Michael bail,” Ryan’s voice was clipped, as they landed, Michael giving Gavin a nod as he lept out, sprinting the short distance to the vehicle where Ray was already settled in the back, his own assault rifle resting atop the sniper’s case; Michael handed his to Ray, allowing the younger of the two to store the weapon in a safe place, possibly for future use.   
  
Ryan had climbed from the cockpit as quickly as he could, Gavin attempting to stand on his slightly wobbly legs. Knowing the time they had was limited, he simply scooped the smaller man into his arms, ignoring Gavin’s noise of indignation, “I’ve got you. We don’t have much time. Once we get back home, you can sleep as long as you want, I promise.”  
  
Gavin’s only response was to rest his head on Ryan’s shoulder, trusting the older to get him to safety in his still shaky state. Sirens were still a ways off, but they were still there, and Ryan’s heart was beating a mile a minute as he rushed the two of them to the armored SUV, Ray quickly helping him get Gavin in the back, before he took his place in the passenger seat, explosives at the ready, should they need them. The air was tense as they peeled out of the clearing in the northern part of Los Santos. Rendezvous was only a few miles away; they could see Mount Chilliad from where they were. They also had the advantage of knowing every back road and navigable terrain leading to the summit. The sun was beginning to set, something that would hopefully aid them in their escape; they had come too far to fuck up now.  
  
Gavin was quiet in the back, Ray keeping an eye on him, worry clouding his expression, noting the slight tinge of glassiness to the Brit’s eyes; it wasn’t over yet, and the stress and excitement of the getaway was only making the possibility of another seizure much closer. In fact, it seemed like he was slipping between the two states, eyes losing focus for a few seconds before returning to staring above him with a slow blink. Ray locked eyes with Ryan in the rearview, nodding silently at the unspoken question, Michael looking up long enough to catch the exchange, his foot pressing harder on the gas. The sirens had started to fade in the distance as they fled the abandoned helicopter, Michael veering off onto an old trail instead of the highway down below; they were all quite glad that the arid soil was still so dry; it made it harder for the LSPD to tack them in the dark vehicle.  
  
“ETA Update?” Geoff’s voice was the first thing heard in the SUV since they had left Ray’s little hole-in-the-wall that was a decrepit old gas station, long abandoned, probably due to the poverty in the area, “You guys good?”  
  
“En route,” Ryan replied, eyes still scanning the landscape for red and blue lights, not satisfied when he didn’t find any, “About five until we arrive.”  
  
“And Gavin?”  
  
“‘M…’m fine,” Gavin muttered over the earpiece, his accent slurred and tired, “Bloody top.”  
  
“Going back and forth between Plan G and being normal,” Ray replied, ignoring the offended sound that came from Gavin, the man giving him a weak glare, “He’s going to be sleeping for-fuck-ever.”  
  
“‘M fine.”  
  
“I can even tell you’re not fine, asshole, and I’m not there. Just get here in one piece, preferably with no cops on your tail,” Geoff huffed, and they could practically see him crossing his arms and giving them a disapproving look, father-style. The familiarity of it seemed to take a bit of the edge off the situation, not to mention the lack of sirens and any sort of indication of police following them.  
  
“You got it, Geoff,” Michael was the one to reply, having stayed otherwise silent during the exchange, maneuvering the vehicle up the rough terrain of the mountain; the summit was within reach, and he could almost make out the figures of Jack and Geoff stood atop the rocky mass. Relief slowly inked its way into his veins; they had made it, hadn’t they? Another successful heist, minus some setbacks.   
  
“About fucking time,” Geoff’s voice was a welcome thing to hear in person as they stepped from the vehicle upon reaching the rendezvous point, Jack giving them a thankful smile in welcome, the night quiet except for the sounds of crickets in the grass. They could see the dotted lights in the distance, the silhouette of Los Santos looking much more impressive than it really was at a distance. Ray instantly started to move their weapons from the SUV to their personal vehicle, Michael aiding him. Geoff’s first priority, it seemed, was to make sure Gavin was doing as well as he could be, considering the situation; a lopsided smile made its way to his lips upon seeing the younger man dozing in the backseat, body lax. He was positive they wouldn’t be hearing a peep from the man until tomorrow morning, when his unbelievable energy level would return and he would bitch about not really getting to be in the heist.  
  
But, they had made it. Gavin would be alright after some rest, which Geoff would be monitoring though the night, as he always did. Quietly, he allowed the Lad to doze on his shoulder as they headed home, thankful they had all made it out alive once more.  


End file.
